Archive for category Stress Management Tips

Stress management is something we do both actively and passively. We gain skills to use in the face of stress and we develop ways to relieve stress when no stressors are present. Some of us use pharmaceuticals to calm down like Xannax or Valium. Others prefer to use natural remedies such as Rhodiola or ginseng. In this article we will discuss natural medicines to use as a stress reducer.

Rhodiola

Rhodiola is though to be the master adaptogen. An adaptogen is an herb that is said to increase resistance to stress, anxiety, fatigue, and trauma. One method of action they are thought to use is balancing endocrine hormones and the immune system. If you are in excess or deficient in these the herb will lower or rise the hormones to balance their levels. It is also said that Rhodiola functions at the allostasis level which is a far more dynamic way of dealing with long term stress. In addition to this studies have shown that it improves mood and can alleviate depression. It has also shown to improve physical and mental performances.

Ginseng

Ginseng comes in many genus, the most common being: Siberian, Panax, American, and Red. Ginseng has traditionally been used as an adaptogen, aphrodisiac, stimulant, type II diabetes, and for the reduction of stress. One study shows that is promising when used to increase overall quality of life.

Holy Basil

Holy Basil is becoming popular for use as a stress reducer and for mood support. In Ayurvedic medicine it is said to be an adaptogen and is helpful is relieving stress. It is a highly respected plant as is referred to as “the elixir of life”. Tulsi Tea which can be bought at many health food stores has holy basil in all of its blends. Many people I have talked to regard it as the best supplement they have taken for emotional well being and as a stress reducer. I feel the same way, for me it works great and helps my stress management to be easy and thoughtful.

Although studies aren’t extensive for these medicines many have shown these and other herbs to be effective in relieving stress. They are definitely worth a try and although we all react to medicines differently we should be able to find ones that work for us. Stress management can certainly be improved with the use of medicines and it definitely is worth the time to find what works for you.

Stress is one of the most undesirable feelings in life, usually stemming from being over-worked, or having high expectations constantly set on you. All of the rigorous activities you perform on a daily basis will eventually get tiresome and usually cause tremendous stress if the right stress management steps aren’t taken. One of the key components in a stress management program is giving yourself time to relax, whether it be in the form of a hobby, a nap, or even meditation .What the relaxing activity is isn’t really significant. What is significant is that you have some way to wind your day down calmly doing something you enjoy.

How and What Relaxing Activities Help

Constantly working and thinking about working can pay a huge toll on your physical and mental health, often times causing you to be restless and eventually turning your life very stale with little to no excitement or happiness (after all you are spending all your time doing undesirable activities). While there’s no doubt work it good and actually necessary to live a stress-free life, it needs to be done in moderation. In order to properly moderate yourself you should set aside a specific time for work, and then set aside specific times each day to go about doing whatever it is you enjoy doing in your spare time. This helps balance you mentally, and give your body a rest from all of your day-to-day work.

Planning Your New, Balanced Life

In order to successfully carry out your leisure activities without any thoughts or work or guilt you need to set yourself up with a time plan for your day; this is required in any stress management plan. You need to plan ahead of time how long and what hours you’ll be working, and how long and what hours you’re free to do as you please. Choosing your work time usually isn’t up to you, but if it is it’s suggested that you put aside around 8 hours daily for work. As for free time schedule at least an hour or two to do whatever you like and wind your day down peacefully.

Stick to your new daily stress management plan and you’ll be well on your way to living stress-free and happy. Just remember to keep yourself on track, only using your work time for work, and your free time for leisure activities.

This is a tricky subject since we are all so much different. One person can handle many stressors at the same time while another person has a hard time with just a couple or even one. Testing stress is still possible although it is hard to do accurately. Some stress test are out there like the Trier Social Stress Test which tried to single out effects of your personality in relation to dealing with stress. They do this in a lab however, so it really isn’t accessible to the general public.

There are test administered by psychologist called burn out tests. These tests of stress measure how close you are to being burnt out. They are usually used in combination with what is simply called stress tests; which will help you find all of the stress causing events and stimulus in your life. Combining these stress tests helps to get a better idea of how much more stress a person is able to take before they experience cognitive exhaustion (as defined in a previous article).

So there really aren’t a lot of great options to test stress. The best option in my opinion would be detailed self reflection. Consider writing a journal day to day. This is a great way to reflect on how you are feeling and what is causing you to feel this way. You can test your stress easier than anyone else can and I believe if done correctly it can be more effective. Come up with your own ideas on how you would best measure your stress. Think about your day as it happens and sum it up on paper. Reflect on this and gather a more detailed idea of the levels of your stress on a day to day basis. These are steps you can take for a happier tomorrow!